To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: An Analysis

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Every since To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was written, there has been much controversy surrounding it. Critics of teaching the book, such as Alice Randall believe that, “In the 21st century, it may not be the best to illuminate those themes, especially when it reinforces so many stereotypes and misconceptions many eighth graders are hardly equipped to consider” (Randall). Those in favor, however, believe that To Kill a Mockingbird has essential information that every student, at one point or another, must encounter before he graduates. When weighing these opposing opinions, it would seem that To Kill a Mockingbird, a book filled with a necessary message, must be taught to students before they graduate from high school, but not necessarily in eighth grade. …show more content…
For example, she says, “But imagine instead that you are an African-American eighth-grade boy in Mississippi today, and you are asked to read Mockingbird. Perhaps it reinforces your growing suspicion that you are unlikely to get a fair trial should you stand accused of something like Tom Robinson” (Randall). This notion, however, that children must be protected from the written word, is very weak. For starters, one must take into consideration that this book is based in the deep south, in the era following the civil war, when segregation and extreme racism, even to the extent of attempted lynchings, is at play. This is completely different from today’s culture. Today, racism is no longer an issue in the United States as a whole, and if this ‘Mississippi boy’ would actually think that it would play a role in today’s court hearings, then perhaps adult teachers could use this example to educate and empower the child about the
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